God bless Warren Zevon

(tabbed by the Hound Dog King)

NOTE:  Keep in mind that this is a piano based song and chords have different 
variations and inversions that aren't practical on a guitar.  Below are simply the 
base chords.  Add filler notes as you see fit and play with your Canadian friends!




       D                         Bm
He was born in Big Beaver by the borderline
   G               D             A
He started playing hockey by the time he was nine
    D                                    G
His dad took the hose and froze the back yard
    D                           A        D
And Little Buddy dreamed he was Rocket Richard
   G                       A  Bm
He grew up big and he grew up tough
   D                           A          Bm
He saw himself scoring for the Wings or Canucks
       G           A           D
But he wasn't that good with a puck


Buddy's real talent was beating people up
His heart wasn't in it but the crowd ate it up
Through pee-wee's and juniors, midgets and mites
He must have racked up more than six hundred fights
A scout from the flames came down from Saskatoon
Said, "There's always room on our team for a goon
           G                     A
Son, we've always got room for a goon"



CHORUS
------
           D      A      Bm
There were Swedes to the left of him
D        A      Bm
Russians to the right
  D     A      Bm        G             A
A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight
G           D          Bm             E
Brains over brawn-that might work for you
    G          D      A           Bm
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
     G          D             A      D
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
    G          D      A           Bm
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
     G          D             A      D
What else can a farm boy from Canada do


Hit somebody! was what the crowd roared
When Buddy the goon came over the boards
"Coach," he'd say, "I wanna score goals"
The coach said, "Buddy, remember your role
The fast guys get paid, they shoot, they score
Protect them, Buddy, that's what you're here for

D
Protection is what you're here for
G
Protection-it's the stars that score
D
Protection-kick somebody's ass
G
Protection-don't put the biscuit in the basket just


Hit some, Buddy! it rang in his ears
Blood on the ice ran down through the years
The king of the goons with a box for a throne
A thousand stitches and broken bones
He never lost a fight on his icy patrol
But deep inside, Buddy only dreamed of a goal
   G                    A
He just wanted one damn goal


CHORUS
------
There were Swedes at the the blue line
Finns at the red
A Russian with a stick heading straight for his head
Brains over brawn-that might work for you
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
     G          D             A      Bm
What else can a farm boy from Canada do


       G     D              A
In his final season, on his final night
G           D              A
Buddy and a Finn goon were pegged for a fight
G              (Em)      F#/A        Bm
Thirty seconds left, the puck took a roll
     G                   A       Bm
And suddenly Buddy had a shot on goal


The goalie committed, Buddy picked his spot
Twenty years of waiting went into that shot
The fans jumped up, the Finn jumped too
And coldcocked Buddy on his follow through
The big man crumbled but he felt all right
'Cause the last thing he saw
was the flashing red light
He saw that heavenly light


CHORUS
------
There were Swedes to the left of him
Russians to the right
A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight
Take care of your teeth-that might work for you
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what's a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do